Tone-finder for stringed musical instruments.



No. 663,!87. Paiented Dec. 4, I900. c. E. ROPP.

TONE FINDER FORSTRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

(Application filed July 10, 1900.!

(No Model.)

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THE NGRWS PETERS cc, FHQTQ-LITHO.,WASH1NGTCN. u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES E. ROPP, OF MILAN, KANSAS.

TONE-FINDER FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.-

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,187, dated December 4, 1900.

A li ti fi1 d July 10, 1900. Serial No. 23,143. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, CHARLES E. ROPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milan, in the county of Sumner, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tone-Finders for Stringed Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to attacments for p the finger-boards of stringed musical instruments; and its object is to provide a device of this nature which shall enable the beginher to readily learn the point upon the fingerboard at which the fingers should be placed to produce the proper tones.

My attachment is particularly adapted for use upon violins or other instruments having no frets and which are accordingly -difficult to master. With this object in View I have provided a device of this nature such as is described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a view showing my attachment in use, and Fig. 2 is a view showing it removed.

Referring now to the drawings, my invention comprises side members a and b, which are preferably formed of thin metal and which are of a length about equal to that of the neck of the instrument upon which the attachment is to be placed. The side pieces are connected at intervals by cross-pieces c, which extend upwardly for a slight distance, and which are curved on their long diameter to conform to the curves of the finger-board, and which are rounded on their upper faces, as shown at d. These cross-pieces are spaced apart at distances equal to that between the points upon the finger-board at which the fingers should be placed to produce the tones of the chromatic scale. Depending from the extremities of the side pieces a and Z) are lugs e and f and g and h, the lugs e and f being notched 011 their outer edges, as shown at 2' and 7e, and the lugs g and 71 being slotted in wardly, as shown at Z and m. The sections of the side pieces a and b, which lie between the cross-pieces c, are curved longitudinally. Their curved portions are curved inwardly, as shown at n.

The neck of the instrument to which my invention is applied should be provided with pins 2 and 3 at either side of its outer end and pins 4 and 5 at either side of its inner end.

In practice my invention is placed upon the neck of the instrument in such a manner as to allow the lugs g and h to lie at either side of the neck,witl1 the pins-4E and 5 in their slots. The other end of the attachment is then pressed down upon the finger-board in such a manner that the pins 2 and 3 will fall within the notches of the lugs e and f and the turnedover-portions end to lie upon the upper face of the finger-board. When the attachment has been thus placed in position, the crosspiece 0 will lie at a slight distance above the finger board, and in order to produce the proper tones the operator will force the strings upon the finger-board with the fingers across the upper side of the cross-piece upon the finger-board.

It will be readily understood that I may make my invention of any suitable material and that I may make slight alterations in the construction herein shown and described without departing materially from the spirit thereof.

Having now fully shown and described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tone-finder for stringed musical instruments comprising side pieces,cross-pieces connecting the side pieces, lugs depending from the extremities of the side pieces, a turned-over portion between the cross-pieces to hold the latter out of engagement with the finger-board upon which the finder is placed.

2. A tone-finder for stringed musical instruments comprising a side piece,cr0ss-pieces connecting the side pieces, inwardly-turned portion on the side piece between the crossname, in the presence of two subscribing Witpieces, lugs upon the extremities of the side nesses, on this 6th day of June, 1900. pieces and recesses in the lugs adapted to receive pins upon the neck of the instrument 5 upon which the device is placed to hold same Witnesses:

in position. JOHN A. PHILLIPPI,

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my W. H. GREER.

CHARLES E. ROPP. 

